Genesis 44

1 And he commanded him who was over his house, saying, “Fill the bags of the men with food, as they are able to carry, and put the money of each in the mouth of his bag. 2 And my cup, the silver cup, you put in the mouth of the bag of the young one, and his grain-money.” And he did according to the word of Joseph which he had spoken. 3 The morning was bright, and the men had been sent away, they and their donkeys— 4 they had gone out of the city—they had not gone far off—and Joseph had said to him who was over his house, “Rise, pursue after the men. And when you have overtaken them, and you will have said to them: Why have you repaid evil for good? 5 Is this not that with which my lord drinks? And he observes diligently with it. You have done evil in that which you have done.” 6 And he overtook them, and spoke to them these words, 7 and they said to him, “Why does my lord speak according to these words? Far be it from your servants to do according to this word. 8 Look, the money which we found in the mouth of our bags we brought back to you from the land of Canaan, and how do we steal from the house of your lord silver or gold? 9 With whomsoever of your servants it is found, he has died, and we also are to my lord for servants.” 10 And he said, “Now also, according to your words, so it is. He with whom it is found becomes my servant, and you are acquitted.” 11 And they hurried and took down each his bag to the earth, and each opened his bag. 12 And he searched—at the eldest he had begun, and at the youngest he had completed—and the cup was found in the bag of Benjamin. 13 And they tore their garments, and each loaded his donkey, and they returned to the city. 14 And Judah and his brothers came to the house of Joseph, and he was yet there, and they fell to the earth before him. 15 And Joseph said to them, “What is this deed that you have done? Have you not known that a man like me diligently observes?” 16 And Judah said, “What do we say to my lord? What do we speak? And how do we justify ourselves? God has found out the iniquity of your servants. Look, we are servants to my lord, both we, and he in whose hand the cup has been found.” 17 And he said, “Far be it from me to do this. The man in whose hand the cup has been found, he becomes my servant. And you, go up in peace to your father.” 18 And Judah came near to him and said, “O my lord, please let your servant speak a word in the ears of my lord, and do not let your anger burn against your servant—for you are as Pharaoh. 19 My lord has asked his servants, saying, Do you have a father or brother? 20 And we said to my lord, We have a father, an aged one, and a child of old age, a little one. And his brother died, and he was left alone of his mother, and his father has loved him. 21 And you said to your servants, Bring him down to me, and I set my eye on him. 22 And we said to my lord, The youth is not able to leave his father, when he has left his father, then he has died. 23 And you said to your servants, If your young brother does not come down with you, do not continue on to see my face. 24 And it came to pass, that we have come up to your servant my father, that we declare to him the words of my lord. 25 And our father said, Return, buy for us a little food, 26 and we said, We are not able to go down. If our young brother is with us, then we have gone down. For we are not able to see the man’s face, and our young brother not with us. 27 And your servant my father said to us, You have known that my wife gave birth two to me, 28 and one goes out from me, and I say, Surely he is torn—torn! And I have not seen him since. 29 When you have taken also this from my presence, and harm has met him, then you have brought down my grey hairs with evil to Sheol. 30 And now, at my coming to your servant my father, and the youth not with us (and his soul is bound up in his soul), 31 then it has come to pass, when he sees that the youth is not, that he has died, and your servants have brought down the grey hairs of your servant our father with sorrow to Sheol. 32 For your servant obtained the youth by guarantee to my father, saying, If I do not bring him to you—then I have sinned against my father all the days. 33 And now, please let your servant abide instead of the youth as a servant to my lord, and the youth goes up with his brothers, 34 for how do I go up to my father, and the youth not with me? Lest I look on the evil which finds my father.”


Next: Chapter 45

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